Curb appeal added to mid-century house

Soothing inspiration from an all green and white garden

After: A light muddy green in a matte finish is a perfect colour with which to revive and refresh the house. White paint accents and white flower Clematis add zip.

Photograph by: Suzanne Rowe
, The Gazette

To reflect the style-forward family who lives in this home, the timeless mid-century house in St. Bruno will need to be spruced up to an edgier and healthier level.

Two features struck me at first, the stained bricks on the chimney walls and the dark entryway under the carport. First, I would remove the weak trellises, temporarily detach the vine and cut it down to a few feet. Since the stain is almost impossible to clean out, two options could be considered. The less expensive one consists in covering the surface with good quality paint such as Behr's brick and concrete product. A light muddy green in a matte finish would be a perfect colour for the chimney, the concrete below it and also the deck in the backyard.

A more costly alternative could be to resurface the walls in a special cement coating in a flat and smooth texture that can be initially tinted in the desired colour or painted after. This operation would have better results if executed by a professional.

For a subtle contrast, the siding, the concrete foundation below it and the custommade flower boxes would adopt a medium tone from the same palette of colours in an acrylic exterior paint in a mat finish.

To visually enlarge the facade, a ghostlike roof structure extension could be added in the same angle as the existing one.

A large-scale trellis attached to the real roof and the new addition would hold the structure while hosting a white flower Clematis.

All vertical steel posts will have to be replaced with wood beams stained with opaque white acrylic.

I'm not sure if the one near the front door is necessary. To be cautious, an evaluation by an architect would be a good idea.

The unsightly vertical gutter pipe will have to be relocated on the lower front corner of the roof of the existing car port and near to the cedars.

Apart from the obvious solid overhanging roof above the porch, one of the reasons why the area is dark is because of the sculptural conifers on the left. It looks good, it protects from the wind in winter and refreshes in summer.

Evaluating the pros and cons, the owner will have to decide between sunlight and a lack of.

For a sleek and clean feel, the sparingly placed rose bushes could migrate elsewhere in the backyard although the white blooms could be used in this new design.

The younger lilac is a problem since it is close to the house and hides some of the nicest attributes of the home which are the three windows.

In the past, I successfully relocated a similar sized bush. I cut about a third of the branches to the ground selecting older ones while balancing the overall shape. It's a gamble but with good soil, compost, transplant products, water and love, it's possible.

For more privacy, the lilac could be transferred on the right side between the gate and the adjoining cedars and about 12 feet away from these and the facade.

The new owner appreciates the soothing inspiration from all green and white gardens.

A hedge of either white flower or lime-green clusters of hydrangeas would effectively soften the driveway.

Leading to the backyard, a five-to six-foot wide pathway made out of long slabs of natural flag stones will be surrounded with a mosslike yellow green ground cover.

A second narrower path would form a triangular shape in which a slow growing tailored hedge of Buxus could showcase three white rose bushes.

For this size lot, trees are absolutely welcomed. I suggest any type of big fir nearer to the street and in line with the right corner of the house a medium size Malus Lollipop on the left, midway to the street.

The quiet sophistication of the muted hues of the house and the single choice of the flowering vegetation bestow an understated elegance.

Vegetation, from left to right:

- Clematis (1+1 climbing, white flowers)

- Hydrangea Annabelle or Limelight (shrubs, hedge driveway)

- Impatiens (white annuals, left flower box)

- Buxus Microphyla Koreana (persistent, triangular hedge)

- Rosa Iceberg (3 rose bushes, white flowers)

- Bacopa Cordata Sutera (annuals, flower box, windows)

- Miscanthus (tall ornamental grass)

- Arenaria Verna (perennials, yellow green, walkway)

- Lamium (perennials, hedge of pathway, silver leaves)

HOUSEWARMING: Most homes can use a little help when it comes to warming up their curb appeal. If you'd like some inexpensive ideas on how to improve the appearance of your home, send a clear photo of your house with your commentary to: Suzanne Rowe, Designer, suro@bell.net. Because of the volume of email she receives, it is not possible for her to individually reply to each correspondent.

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